Japanese spiritual architecture, Chumon gate

The architecture of the Japanese Buddhist temples evolved over time, each sect developing its own style of spiritual architecture.

The Todai-ji of Nara is an interesting example of how the original temples looked like, with the main gate facing south (Nandaimon) and with the sacred area fenced on all sides by a semi-enclosed, roofed corridor called Kairō. The gate allowing passage through the Kairō, photographed here, was called simply Chumon, meaning middle gate.